In this chapter we have an account of Samson’s too great familiarity with two harlots; by the one he was brought into great danger, and narrowly escaped, Jude 1–3, and by the other he was betrayed into the hands of the Philistines, having got the secret out of him wherein his great strength lay,…

Then went Samson to Gaza One of the five principalities of the Philistines, which was ten miles from Ashkelon, as Sandys [[15]] says; who also describes [[16]] it as standing upon an hill environed with valleys, and these again well nigh enclosed with hills, most of them planted with all sorts of…

And it was told the Gazites The inhabitants of Gaza, the principal ones of it, the magistrates of the city, either by some persons that saw him come in, who knew him, or by the harlot into whose company he fell, to whom he made himself known: saying, Samson is come hither; the man so famous for his…

And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight Either not being able to lie any longer through the conviction of his conscience for his lewdness, or being warned by a dream, or having an impulse upon his spirit, which suggested to him that wait was laid for him, and the danger he was in; and…

And it came to pass afterwards, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek Which, according to Adrichomius [[23]] was but half a mile from the brook Eshcol, from whence the spies brought a bunch of grapes, as a specimen of the fruit of the land of Canaan; and this valley of Sorek seems to have…

And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her Having heard that Samson kept company with her, she being a noted strumpet, like Lais among the Grecians.

And Delilah said to Samson At a proper opportunity, when in his hands and caresses, as Josephus relates [[4]], and introduced it in an artful manner, admiring his strange exploits, and wondering how he could perform them: tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth; which she proposed…

And Samson said unto her In answer to her pressing solicitations: if they bind me with seven green withs that were never dried; the word is sometimes used for nerves, and cords or ropes; but neither of these can be here meant, since these, if moistened or made wet, are the less fit to bind with,…

Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her To the chamber where she was with Samson, she having acquainted them with what he had told her: seven green withs, which had not been dried; just such as he had described and directed to: and she bound him with them; taking an opportunity, very…

Now there were men lying in wait Very likely some of the servants of the lords of the Philistines, who were placed privately on purpose, that when an opportunity offered, they might rush out, and fall upon Samson; Josephus [[23]] calls them soldiers: abiding with her in the chamber; in a private…

And Delilah said unto Samson Not on the same day, but some time after, as Kimchi observes, when an opportunity offered, and he was in like circumstances as before; for had she immediately attacked him, it might have created some suspicion in him of a design against him: behold, thou hast mocked me,…

And he said unto her Abarbinel presents Samson replying to her, that he had told her the truth at first, only forgot one circumstance, that the “cords”, for so he takes the word for “withs” to signify, should be “new”, such as were never used, as follows: if they bind me fast with new ropes, that…

Delilah therefore took new ropes, and bound him therewith, &c.] Tried this experiment with him, according to his directions, being very desirous of getting the sum of money offered her: and said unto him, the Philistines be upon thee, Samson: using the same words, and with the same view as she had…

And Delilah said unto Samson At another time, when she thought it most proper to upbraid him with his deception of her: hitherto thou hast mocked me, and told me lies; both the times that she had solicited him to impart the secret of his strength to her: tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound;…

And she fastened it with the pin That is, after she had interwoven the locks of his hair into the warp, she fastened the beam on which it was with the pin, that it might not roll back; or else her machine or loom to the ground, that it might stand more firmly; or the web into which the hair was…

And she said unto him, how canst thou say, I love thee, when thine heart is not with me? &c.] She took an opportunity, when he was caressing her, to upbraid him with dissembled love, and a false heart: thou hast mocked me these three times; she had urged him to tell her where his strength lay, and…

And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him Lay at him day after day to communicate the secret to him, gave him no rest, but was incessant in her applications to him: so that his soul was vexed unto death: could hardly bear to live, but wished to die, being in the…

That he told her all his heart All that was in his heart concerning this affair, all that he knew relating to it; he had told her something before, or at least what came nearer to the truth of the matter, when he directed her to the weaving of his locks into the web; but now he told her all, which…

And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart Which she perceived by his countenance, and the serious manner in which he expressed himself; and Abarbinel conjectures that he might swear to her that what he said was truth; and who observes from their Rabbins, as does also Kimchi, that she…

And she made him sleep upon her knees Giving him, as some think, a sleepy potion; or however encouraged him to take a nap upon her knees, and by her fondness lulled him to sleep: and she called for a man; a barber; in former times to shave was the work of a servant [[5]] and sometimes of a woman;…

And she said, the Philistines be upon thee, Samson In like manner as she had before, that she might have full proof that the case was really such, that his strength was gone from him: and he awoke out of his sleep; upon the cry she made: and said; within himself, purposing and determining in his…

But the Philistines took him Being assured by Delilah that his strength was gone from him, of which perhaps she had made trial by binding him, and found he could not free himself from the bonds till she loosed them; or otherwise they would have been afraid to have ventured to lay hold upon him; and…

Howbeit, the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven. ] It began to grow immediately no doubt, as it naturally would do; but it is highly probable it grew in an extraordinary manner, and in a short time became as when it was shaved [[12]], as it may be rendered, and upon which his…

Then the lords of the Philistines gathered them together The five lords, with their friends, not directly upon Samson’s being taken and committed to prison, but some time after; perhaps some months: for to get a great sacrifice to Dagon their god; in later times their god was called Marnas [[13]],…

And when the people saw him In the condition he was, blinded and fettered, of whom and of his great exploits they had heard so much: they praised their god; as Belshazzar did his, in hymns and songs composed for them, the substance of which was as follows: for they said, our god hath delivered into…

And it came to pass when their hearts were merry With wine, for which Gaza is famous in many writers [[21]]; with eating and drinking, dancing, and music; for it was usual for the Heathens to feast in their temples, and especially no doubt they would on such an occasion as this: and they said, call…

And Samson said to the lad that held him by the hand And led him about; as nothing is more common now than for a blind man to be led by a boy: suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house standeth; he might by information know in what manner the house was built, that it was supported…

Now the house was full of men and women Within it, who were gathered together from all parts of the city, and perhaps from other places on this occasion: and all the lords of the Philistines were there; their five lords, the lords of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron: and there were upon the…

And Samson called unto the Lord In an ejaculatory manner, by mental prayer; though he might possibly express it aloud, without being heard and observed by the people, amidst their noise and mirth; and if it was heard, it might only furnish out more ridicule and contempt; and be it as it may, the…

And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars, upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up Some have objected, that a building so large and so capacious as this was could not be supported by two pillars, and those placed in the middle, and so near to each other that Samson could lay…

And Samson said, let me die with the Philistines He sought their death, and was content to lose his own life to be avenged on them; in neither of which did he act a criminal part as a judge of Israel; and from a public spirit he might desire the death of their enemies, and seek to effect it by all…

Then his brethren, and all the house of his father, came down, &c.] To Gaza, having heard of what had befallen him there. This must be understood of his kindred and near relations, those of his father’s family; though it is not unlikely that he had brethren in a proper sense, since though his…